Smaolab has announced the release of Tarabia Distortion, a freeware distortion effect in VST and AU plugin formats for compatible digital audio workstations on PC and Mac.
Tarabia Distortion is based on two different distortion algorithms. The first algorithm provides heavy overdrive whereas the second one is more mellow, modeled after the distortion used in Yamaha synthesizers of the 80s. The developer recommends Tarabia Distortion as a tool for adding character to software synthesizers, but the plugin will also work well on other types of audio such as drums or bass guitars.
See also: Best FREE Distortion VST/AU PluginsThe workflow is very simple, with only three controls in total. The two knobs control the input gain and the dry/wet level while the 2-way switch is used to choose the active distortion algorithm. The interface design is rather busy looking, with a colorful background which isn’t necessarily easy on the eyes. I personally don’t mind it, though, since I kind of dig the artwork that was used.
IMPORTANT: There seems to be a problem with Tarabia Distortion in certain hosts. I encountered a loud noise burst when loading the plugin in Studio One. Be careful when testing the plugin in your host application of choice and keep the volume down!
The plugin can be downloaded completely free of charge from the product page linked below. You’ll need to sign up for a user account while completing the checkout process. Smaolab is offering several other freebies on their website, mostly in M4L format for Ableton Live. Tarabia Distortion was developed using the Dplug library by Auburn Sounds, the developer behind the excellent Graillon 2 and Couture plugins.
Tarabia Distortion is available for free download via Smaolab (2.28 MB download size, ZIP archive, 32-bit & 64-bit VST/AU plugin format for Windows & MacOS).
Last Updated on September 17, 2018 by Tomislav Zlatic.
